Guide · International calls
Can you still make international calls with Skype?
No. You can't make new international calls with Skype: Microsoft retired Skype on May 5, 2025, stopped selling Skype Credit, Skype Numbers and Skype subscriptions, and says Microsoft Teams (free) does not support paid calling plans.[1] The only remnant is the Skype Dial Pad, which Microsoft says still spends Skype Credit that was already on an account; it cannot be topped up.[2] To call abroad today: call app to app for free if the other person has WhatsApp, FaceTime, Viber or Teams; use a pay-as-you-go calling service for landlines and mobiles; dial 011 from a US landline, or + on a mobile, then the country code and the number without its leading 0;[3][4] and get a number of your own if they need to call you back. I re-read Microsoft's retirement and Dial Pad pages, the ITU numbering lists and carrier help pages on October 25, 2026.
After Skype is published with support from TwinPhone; rankings reflect my criteria. Methodology and disclosure.
On this page
International calls after Skype, in one minute
- Skype and Teams (free): no paid calls to phone numbers; Skype retired on May 5, 2025.[1]
- Other app users: call free over the internet when you both have the same app.
- Landlines and mobiles: need a carrier plan or a pay-as-you-go app or browser dialer.
- From the US: dial 011 + country code + number, or + instead of 011 on a mobile.[3]
Can you still call abroad with Skype in 2026?
No. Microsoft retired Skype on May 5, 2025 and moved Skype users to Microsoft Teams (free).[1] New Skype Credit, Skype Numbers and Skype subscriptions can no longer be bought, so there is no way to add calling minutes, and Microsoft says the free version of Teams does not support paid calling plans to phone numbers.[1]
Calling features ended in stages; the Skype shutdown explained page has the full timeline.
- May 5, 2025: Skype retired; SMS, call forwarding, voicemail, Skype Credit gifting and Caller ID setup stopped.[1]
- February 15, 2026: existing Skype caller ID setups were shut down.[1]
- May 1, 2026: the Skype subscription service ended; plans running past that date became Skype Credit.[1]
- May 2026: all Skype Number subscriptions ended, with no port-out.[1]
One remnant is left. Microsoft says Skype Credit already on an account can still be used through the Skype Dial Pad, which appears in Teams (free) only for accounts that hold Skype Credit.[2] If you have a balance, you can spend leftover Skype Credit that way; I could not confirm that calls still connect, because that needs an account with credit on it.
How Skype international calling worked
Skype ran for about 22 years, from 2003 to May 2025.[5] It did two different jobs that people lump together as "Skype international calls".
Skype-to-Skype vs SkypeOut
A call between two Skype accounts travelled over the internet from app to app. TeleGeography calls this on-net (Skype-to-Skype) international traffic and estimates it reached 214 billion minutes in 2013, when telcos terminated 547 billion minutes of international traffic.[6]
A call from Skype to an ordinary landline or mobile, the feature long known as SkypeOut, finished on the phone network and was paid. Microsoft lists Skype Credit and the subscriptions "that allow you to make and receive international and domestic calls" among Skype's paid features.[7]
Skype Credit and calling subscriptions
Skype Credit was a prepaid balance spent per minute on calls to phone numbers. Skype subscriptions were monthly calling plans; the service ended on May 1, 2026.[1] Microsoft 365 Personal and Family also included Skype minutes, which Microsoft began removing in March 2026.[1] Skype's old price list is no longer public: the former calling-rates address now opens the Skype Dial Pad sign-in, so this page quotes no historical rates.
Why so many people used it for calls abroad
One app and one account covered free internet calls, paid calls to phones, a Skype Number to be called back on and your own caller ID, on a computer or a phone. Voice&Data reports that Skype had over 300 million monthly users at its peak in the mid-2010s.[8] Today each of those jobs needs a separate replacement.
How to make an international call now, step by step
- Check whether the other person uses a calling app. If you both have WhatsApp, FaceTime, Viber, Signal or Teams, an app-to-app call costs only data; see free calls abroad between apps.
- For a landline, or a mobile without the app, pick a paid service. Pay-as-you-go apps and browser dialers work like Skype Credit: top up a balance, pay per minute. The best Skype alternative for international calls depends on the country you call, so that comparison, with dated rates, has its own page.
- Choose the device. A browser dialer works like Skype on a desktop; a phone app or your carrier's international plan works on the move.
- Write the number in international format. Country code first, then the number without its domestic trunk prefix, usually a leading 0.[4] From a US landline put 011 in front; on a mobile or in an app use +.[3]
- Check the price before you call. Landline and mobile rates to the same country often differ.
- If they need to call you back, get a number. Skype caller ID ended on February 15, 2026.[1] To set up caller ID with a new number, rent a virtual number.
How to dial an international number from the US (and from a mobile)
From a US landline the exit code is 011: Verizon's instructions are to dial 011, then the country code, then the number.[3] Most countries use a trunk prefix, usually 0, for calls inside the country, and it is dropped when calling from abroad.[4] On a mobile, an app or a browser dialer, type + instead of 011, so the same saved contact works from any country.
| Country | Country code | Prefix to drop | From a US landline | From a mobile or app |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 91[10] | 0[4] | 011 91 + number without the 0 | +91 + number without the 0 |
| Mexico | 52[10] | none since 2019¹ | 011 52 + 10-digit number | +52 + 10-digit number |
| Philippines | 63[10] | 0[4] | 011 63 + number without the 0 | +63 + number without the 0 |
| United Kingdom | 44[10] | 0[4] | 011 44 + number without the 0 | +44 + number without the 0 |
| Canada | 1[10] | none | 1 + area code + number² | +1 + area code + number |
| Germany | 49[10] | 0[4] | 011 49 + number without the 0 | +49 + number without the 0 |
- ¹ Since August 3, 2019 every Mexican number, landline or mobile, has 10 digits, and the old 01, 044 and 045 prefixes are gone.[9]
- ² Canada shares country code 1 with the US, so it is dialed like a US long-distance call, without 011; Verizon lists Canada as a 10-digit direct-dial country.[3]
Example: calling a mobile in the Philippines
A Philippine mobile number written at home as 0917 123 4567 becomes 011 63 917 123 4567 from a US landline, or +63 917 123 4567 from a mobile: country code 63 replaces the leading 0.[10][4] The number is a format illustration, not a real line.
Calling a landline abroad from a computer, like SkypeOut
The closest thing to SkypeOut on a desktop is a browser dialer: a web page that calls ordinary phone numbers through your computer's microphone and speakers, with nothing to install. The person you call answers a normal call. These three services do it; their prices are compared in a separate guide.
- TwinPhone runs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave or Safari on Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS, with iPhone and Android apps that share the same balance.[11]
- Yolla Web calls mobile and landline numbers worldwide from Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Edge without downloading or installing software.[12]
- Google Voice works on the web, but personal Google Voice accounts are available only in the US.[13]
Keep a mobile or landline for emergencies: TwinPhone, for example, says it cannot call emergency numbers such as 911.[14]
Calling abroad from your cell phone: carrier plans, Wi-Fi calling and apps
Your carrier's international calling
US carriers let you dial abroad directly, at international per-minute rates or through an international add-on. Verizon gives the same procedure as for a landline, dial 011, the country code and the number, and notes that international rates still apply.[3]
Does Wi-Fi calling work internationally?
Wi-Fi calling carries a normal phone call over Wi-Fi instead of a cell tower, and the carrier bills it by the number you call. AT&T says all Wi-Fi calls to US numbers are free of charge while you travel abroad, and that Wi-Fi calls to international numbers are covered only by some international add-ons.[15] So Wi-Fi calling helps a US traveller call home; it does not make calls to foreign numbers free. I could read AT&T's page on October 25, 2026 but not T-Mobile's or Verizon's equivalents, so check your own carrier.
Calling apps on your phone
Messaging apps such as WhatsApp call other users of the same app over Wi-Fi or mobile data. Pay-as-you-go calling apps call landlines and mobiles from a prepaid balance, the way Skype Credit did, and the person you call needs no app.
Old Skype habits and their new equivalents
Each thing Skype did for calls abroad now has its own replacement; every Skype alternative I rated is on the home page.
| On Skype you used | Status now | Use instead |
|---|---|---|
| SkypeOut calls to phones | No new credit or subscriptions.[1] | A pay-as-you-go app or browser dialer |
| Skype Credit | Leftover credit only, via the Skype Dial Pad.[2] | A prepaid balance with another service |
| A Skype Number | Ended in May 2026; no port-out.[1] | A virtual phone number |
| Skype-to-Skype calls | Accounts moved to Teams (free).[1] | WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal or Teams (free) |
| Caller ID | Shut down on February 15, 2026.[1] | Caller ID from a rented number |
| SMS and voicemail | Stopped on May 5, 2025.[1] | A number provider that offers them |
International calling without Skype: FAQ
Can Skype call international numbers now?
How do I make international calls now that Skype is gone?
Call app to app for free if the other person uses WhatsApp, FaceTime, Viber or Teams, and use a pay-as-you-go service or your carrier's international calling for landlines and mobiles. Dial 011 from a US landline or + on a mobile, then the country code and the number.[3]
Can I make a Skype call to a landline?
Not with new credit. Landline calls needed Skype Credit or a subscription, Microsoft stopped selling both, and Teams (free) does not support paid calling plans.[1] A landline abroad now needs a paid calling service, a carrier plan or leftover credit in the Skype Dial Pad.
How do I dial an international number from the US?
How do I call overseas from my cell phone?
Type +, the country code and the number without its leading 0, then call through your carrier's international calling or a calling app. Direct carrier calls are billed at international rates, as Verizon notes.[3]
Does Wi-Fi calling work internationally?
Yes, but it is billed by the number you call. AT&T says all Wi-Fi calls to US numbers are free of charge while you are abroad; calls to international numbers are covered only by some add-ons.[15] Other carriers set their own rules.
Can I call phones from my computer's browser like Skype?
How much did Skype charge for international calls?
Skype charged per minute from prepaid Skype Credit, or a monthly fee for a calling subscription.[7] Its old per-minute price list is no longer public, because the former calling-rates address now opens the Skype Dial Pad sign-in.
Related guides
Sources
- Microsoft Support: Skype is retiring in May 2025: What you need to know (no visible update date). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Microsoft Support: Make a call with Skype Dial Pad in Microsoft Teams (personal). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Verizon: International Calling. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- ITU: Dialling procedures (international prefix, national (trunk) prefix and national (significant) number) (position on 15 December 2011) (December 15, 2011). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- NPR: Skype shutting down (May 5, 2025). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- TeleGeography: A Bit Over-The-Top: What Is OTT Traffic? (Paul Brodsky) (January 9, 2025). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Microsoft 365 Blog: The next chapter: Moving from Skype to Microsoft Teams (Jeff Teper) (February 28, 2025). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Voice&Data: Skype shuts down after 22 years of transforming digital communication (May 5, 2025). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones (IFT): Comunicado de Prensa No. 34/2019: A partir del 3 de agosto, México tendrá una nueva forma de marcación telefónica (July 16, 2019). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- ITU: List of Recommendation ITU-T E.164 assigned country codes (position on 15 December 2016) (December 15, 2016). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- TwinPhone Help: Does TwinPhone work on iPhone, Android and Linux? (September 27, 2026). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Yolla: Call from Computer or Browser — Web Calling | Yolla. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- Google Voice Help: Google Voice Help Center. Accessed October 25, 2026.
- TwinPhone: llms.txt (official product facts). Accessed October 25, 2026.
- AT&T Wireless Customer Support: Learn About International Wi-Fi Calls (January 14, 2026). Accessed October 25, 2026.
Gladstone Walters
Editor, After Skype
I'm Gladstone Walters, and I live in the United Kingdom. I write and maintain the After Skype guides. Every price, limit and date here comes from the vendor's own pricing, help or rate pages; I note the day I read each one and put a dash wherever I can't verify a number. TwinPhone supports this site, so I hold it to the same criteria as every other app and list its weak points next to its strengths.
Gladstone on Trustpilot (opens in a new tab)Reviewed and updated · Next review January 2027 · Author page · Methodology